Yufeng City.
Located in the central southern region of the Xingluo Empire.
It is home to one of the Seven Great Sects, the Wind Sword Sect, which is based here in Yufeng City. This has made Yufeng City well-known throughout the entire empire.
About seven years ago, Yang Wudi led the Po family to establish their roots here, adding a touch of brilliance to the bustling Yufeng City.
The Po family's exquisite alchemy techniques have attracted great attention from the major commercial guilds of Yufeng City and its surrounding areas.
Whenever the Po family produces pills, potions, or other medicinal concoctions, they are quickly bought up by these guilds, making their products highly sought after.
Due to their exceptional alchemy skills, the Po family quickly gained a solid foothold in Yufeng City and developed an extensive trade network.
Seven years have passed.
Though the Po family suffered the most losses during the hunt by the Wuhun Hall, apart from the loss of family members, they have already recovered much of their strength. They have become one of the most powerful forces in Yufeng City.
In the southern district of Yufeng City.
The Po family's residence is situated in a quiet alley in the southern part of the city.
Alchemy and poison-making require a calm and quiet environment, so Yang Wudi had intentionally chosen a secluded location for their residence.
Moreover, since the Po family treasures their unique alchemy and poison-making techniques and never displays them in front of outsiders, they built high walls to ensure privacy, making their residence far more enclosed than the average home.
At this moment, outside the residence.
Lin Rong and the old steward stood outside the door, looking at the seemingly ordinary Yang residence.
"The walls are so high, and they've used top-quality building materials."
"The style of the architecture is too understated. It doesn't look nearly as grand as the Li family residence in Tiandou City."
"Yang Wudi may have built his residence with such subtlety, but his temper is extremely fiery; he can't tolerate the slightest imperfection."
"Indeed, only medicine and poison can tame this fiery-tempered old goat."
After a while.
With a "click," the door to the Yang residence opened, and a young man emerged—the same person who had earlier delivered the letter of introduction written by Bai He.
"Gentlemen, the family head requests your presence."
The young man led the way, and Lin Rong and the old steward followed behind.
The Yang residence was large, and they walked for nearly half a tea's time before they arrived at the main guest hall.
Inside the guest hall, an elderly man sat in the prominent seat.
The old man had a tall, thin frame, dark hair, a ruddy complexion, and sharp, hawk-like eyes. At first glance, he looked like a difficult person to get along with.
As soon as the elderly man saw Lin Rong and the steward enter, his piercing gaze immediately swept over them. His eyes lingered on Lin Rong for a moment before shifting to the old steward.
Lin Rong had the odd feeling that Yang Wudi's gaze on the steward seemed to carry a hint of battle intent.
But then he recalled that Yang Wudi wasn't just an expert in alchemy; he was also a martial arts enthusiast. Lin Rong thought to himself:
"Could it be that this old guy wants to challenge Grandpa Yu?"
Indeed, that was exactly the case.
Recently, Yang Wudi had failed in his alchemy, and he was filled with pent-up frustration, eager to vent it. But no one in the family was strong enough to fight him, and no one dared to challenge him.
Thus, when he saw the old steward's soul power level and the mention of Lin Rong's identity in the letter of introduction, his first thought was to take the opportunity to fight and release some of that frustration.
However, upon further consideration, Yang Wudi realized that the two had been recommended by Bai He, a good friend of his, and such behavior would be a breach of etiquette. He quickly suppressed the urge to fight.
"Years ago, the Po family had some business dealings with your Lin family. We've had some friendly interactions between our two families," Yang Wudi said, shifting his gaze back to Lin Rong.
"However, you still went to Old Bai for a letter of introduction, which suggests that there's something more behind your visit."
"Speak. What is it that has brought you to the Xingluo Empire?"
Lin Rong relaxed slightly upon hearing Yang Wudi retract his battle intent and followed him to the guest seat before answering.
"Friendships fade over time, which is why I sought out Elder Bai for the letter of introduction."
"We've come to ask your esteemed family to create an antidote for a particular poison mist."
With that, Lin Rong produced a transparent vial containing a bluish-green gas.
The bluish-green gas was the poison mist he spoke of, which had been extracted from a toxic formation laid by Dugu Bo outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
Yang Wudi took the vial and opened the cork slightly, inhaling the scent. After a moment, he resealed the bottle and spoke dismissively.
"This poison mist contains two types of toxins: the Green Phosphor Seven Deadly Flowers and the Green Phosphor Serpent. These two toxins complement each other, making the poison several times stronger. It's a blend, a mixed poison of sorts."
As he spoke, Yang Wudi's eyes flashed with disdain, his expression one of disregard for the poison in the vial.
"This kind of poison mist is nothing. Every member of my Po family could brew an antidote for it."
Lin Rong didn't feel that Yang Wudi was exaggerating in the slightest.
In terms of theoretical knowledge of poisons, only Tang San could rival the Po family, but even then, it was strictly theoretical. When it came to practical application, Tang San would have to admit defeat.
However, this matter was far from simple.
"Master Yang, while this poison mist may seem trivial, the area is filled with a vast number of Green Phosphor Seven Deadly Flowers. The deeper you go, the older these flowers become."
"The poison mist in this vial was merely extracted from the outermost layer."
"So, what I need is for you to create an antidote strong enough to resist the entire field of this poison mist. Can you do that?"
Lin Rong knew that Yang Wudi could handle it. He said this merely to provoke his competitive spirit.
"Hmph!"
Yang Wudi snorted coldly, irritated by the young man questioning his alchemy skills.
"This measly Green Phosphor toxin is nothing more than a parlor trick!"
"Wait here for a day or two. In a day or two, I'll have the antidote ready."
Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Wudi stood up and left the guest hall, heading straight for his alchemy lab.
As Lin Rong watched him leave, a slight twitch crossed his face.
"He does move quickly. I barely prodded him a little, and he's already off to make the antidote without even discussing compensation."
"Despite his foul temper, he's still the one I admire the most among the four clan leaders of the Four Major Attribute Sects."
"It's a pity that his bond with Bai He is so deep. It's not suitable to recruit him."